


Just Leave

by ReeLeeV



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff and Angst, M/M, barista!Kihyun, changki rise, changki rise 2k17, student!im
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2018-12-01 06:52:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11481003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReeLeeV/pseuds/ReeLeeV
Summary: After the third time Changkyun walks in on his boyfriend cheating on him, the young man finds himself caught in the rain. He hurries to a nearby cafe, the only thing open this time of night. There he finds unexpected comfort in a short, cute barista by the name of Kihyun.





	1. Chapter 1

Changkyun hums a delightful tune under his breath as he fumbles for his keys, his arms full of groceries. He hasn't told his boyfriend yet, but he's planned a very special evening for them. Between work, school, and… other things, the two haven't had much time to spend together. However, Changkyun hopes to change that.

Sure those other things, other people, have worked hard to get between them, but he knows that if he works hard enough remind his boyfriend of how much they love each other, then everything will be ok. So, he's sure that if he manages to cook his boyfriend his favorite meal, which honestly would be quite the feat, then that'll just be he first step in rekindling their relationship.

With an uncharacteristically wide smile, Changkyun finally manages to open the door, excitement and anxiety filling his mind. He isn't exactly the best cook in the world, he knows, but surely if he works hard enough he’ll manage it. He goes to the kitchen and begins unpacking the groceries, keeping out everything he’ll need. He pulls his phone from his pocket and opens his web browser to glance over the recipe once more before beginning. As he goes to set the device down, a sudden bump from down the hall makes him jump.

Changkyun frowns confusedly, grasping his phone tightly as he moves to investigate. His boyfriend isn't supposed to be home until much later. He knows because he had texted earlier just to be sure, not wanting the surprise to be ruined. He creeps down the hall, another thump reaching his ears. This time, it's clear it’s coming from the bedroom. Hesitation fills him as he reaches the door and reaches out to open it.

His heart drops at the scene awaiting him. Tears sting his eyes as the feeling of betrayal and hurt overtake his mind. His boyfriend and some random man are lying together on the bed he shares with Changkyun, roughly making out, stripping each other.

Changkyun gulps hard, trying to keep himself from crying. He runs from the apartment before either can pull away and notice him. He slams the door behind himself, unbidden tears stinging his eyes.

  
He walks along the sidewalk, evening giving way to night. His hands are shoved into his pockets, his eyes downcast as tears stream freely down his face. He can't believe it's happened again. Jinsoo had sworn he wouldn't ever even dream of cheating on him again... Of course, this wouldn't be the first time he'd lied about that.

 _I should leave him_ , Changkyun thinks for umpteenth time since this string of behavior began. He has to fight back a sigh at this, though, knowing it to be impossible. _What if there's no one else out there for me? I mean, he was the only man to even notice that I exist ever since middle school, much less be willing to date me. Besides, I can't financially afford to live on my own, not with my crappy job…_

_I love him, and I won't leave him just because things are hard right now. One day he’ll wake up and realize how badly this hurts me, and he’ll stop it once and for all. Who knows? Maybe this is the last time he’ll do this. Maybe it'll only take this last time to get it out of his system. If that's the case, then I'm definitely not leaving him._

Changkyun sniffles, his tears finally coming to an end. He always managed to talk sense into himself before doing anything rash. He knows Jinsoo is the one for him, and that this phase will come to an end. Jinsoo had told him so, and he has no reason to distrust his hyung.

Suddenly, the clouds that have been looming all day break open with a crack of thunder. Lightning flashes in the sky. Changkyun hunches his shoulders forward as he quickens his pace, luckily sighting a nearby bus stop. He takes shelter under the awning, running a hand through his hair. He looks around for a street sign or something, having been too distraught before to pay attention to where he was heading before.

He sighs heavily, rubbing his face with his hands. How had he gotten this far from the apartment without even realizing? It isn't so far away that he won't be able to get back without a cab, but it's too far to walk in the rain. He’ll be chancing a cold if he tries before at least waiting for this downpour to lessen a bit. He looks around for a nearby building to take shelter in.

He's relieved to see a café not too far away, just down the block, shining like a sparkling gem in the dark. He hurries after it, bending his head forward to avoid his face getting wet.

  
The last thing Kihyun expects tonight is to get a customer when the rain starts. It's been a couple hours since the last customer had come in, leaving him alone to read and work on schoolwork he'd recently fallen behind on, so he's very surprised when a cute young man bursts through the door in a hurry.

The newcomer bows quickly and lowly, running a hand through his hair as he straightens up. Kihyun licks his lips in appreciation, sending up a silent prayer of thanks for this man walking into his café. His beautiful doe eyes flick up to the menu board above Kihyun's head, pressing his lips together as if in thought.

“Welcome to Momo Café,” Kihyun greets, trying for one of his more brilliant smiles. The expression causes the customer to blink repeatedly, and he pulls his bottom lip in between his teeth as he nods. Kihyun notices a slight blush creeping up the man’s cheeks, which only delights him more.

“C-Could I get…um,” the man says softly as he nears the counter, “a c-cup of hot chocolate, please?” Kihyun nods, turning to the register to ring him up. He looks back at the stranger expectantly, silently asking if that'd be all. The man nods, easily understanding, and pulls out his wallet. He hands over the right amount of money after Kihyun tells him how much it is, seeming a bit childish with his bottom lip between his teeth. It's in a cute way, though, so Kihyun doesn't mind in the slightest.

“I'll bring you your order when it's ready,” Kihyun tells him, running through the typical mantra. “If you need or want anything else, don't hesitate to ask. My name is Kihyun.”

“Th-Thank you,” the customer mumbles, and he shuffles over to a table. Kihyun cocks his head a bit, noting offhandedly his red, puffy eyes. He turns, deciding to throw in an extra bit of chocolate into the drink. The guy clearly needs a pick-me-up. The man sniffles again, the only sound in the quiet café, and Kihyun decides to go to the back and warmup some of the day’s special soup, as well. It's never good to walk around in the rain, and from the looks of this guy he'd been caught in the thick of it.

He readies the food and drink as quickly as possible, bringing it over to the stranger now playing on his phone. The man glances up confusedly, blinking rapidly at Kihyun.

“I-I didn't—”

“It's on the house,” Kihyun tells him with a nonchalant shrug. “I couldn't help but notice how you obviously got caught in the rain, so I thought you'd like some soup.”

“Thank you,” the man says softly, glancing down sheepishly. Kihyun leans his head to the side, watching the man’s hunched forward shoulders and the way his eyes snap to his phone nearly every second. God barista hums, a gentle smile playing across his lips.

“Sorry,” he says, taking a seat across from him, “but are you alright? You look like you've had a pretty rough night…” The question seems to cause the customer to curl up into himself even more, a reaction Kihyun certainly isn't hoping for.

“I'll be okay…” is all the man says in response. Kihyun chews on his bottom lip. He knows it definitely isn't his place to pry, but he doesn't like seeing such cute guys in such obvious distress… especially this cute guy.

“What year were you born in?” Kihyun asks, trying for a more casual conversation. “I was born in 1993.”

“I was born in 1996.”

“Then I'm your hyung~” Kihyun says, giving him a friendly smile. “What's your name, dongsaeng?”

“Im Changkyun,” the customer answers softly, at last reaching towards the cup of hot chocolate. He hums as he drinks, the smallest of smiles coming to his lips. “Thank you, this is really good.” Kihyun nods, his own smile widening.

Changkyun continues to eat his soup and drink his hot chocolate, humming delightedly at the warmth filling him up. All the distress and worry from before seem to melt away in this comforting atmosphere. Something about this barista definitely puts Changkyun's mind at ease, though he can't tell what. Maybe it's that friendly, bright smile, that Changkyun can only compare to sunlight, or the way his eyes twinkle like stars…

A sudden ringing yanks Changkyun out of his silent reverie, causing him to jump in shock. He glances down at his phone, tears returning all too easily at seeing Jinsoo’s name pop up, his photo being an adorable selfie the two had taken months ago. They look so happy in the picture, it having been taken before all their issues began to pop up.

Changkyun answers the call after glancing up almost hesitantly at the barista, though why he can't say.

“Kyun-ah,” Jinsoo’s voice greets, the tone a bit tense. “Are you home? I found groceries in the kitchen, but I can't find you anywhere…”

“I realized I had forgotten something,” Changkyun lies after a moment of thoughtful silence, “so I went back out to get it.” He decides he’ll wait for Jinsoo to bring up his indiscretion, if he even needs to. After all, they're trying to patch things up between them. There's no need to bring up bad feelings by accusing him of cheating again.

“Ah,” Jinsoo says, sighing in obvious relief. “Where are you now? It's raining buckets out there, I'll come and get you.”

“I found a café to hide out in,” Changkyun tells him. “It's called Momo Café… It isn't too far from the apartment.” Jinsoo hums, and tells Changkyun he’ll be right there before hanging up. He sets down his phone, chewing on his bottom lip.

“Boyfriend?” Kihyun asks, his tone almost unreadable. Changkyun nods slowly, for some reason unable to meet his eyes. The older sighs, and his chair creaks as if he's getting up. A gentle hand touches Changkyun's cheek, wiping at a stray tear.

“It's none of my business,” Kihyun says softly, “but you shouldn't be with a man that makes you cry. You deserve better.”

Changkyun’s head snaps up then, surprised by the blunt statement. Kihyun gives him another smile, pulling at his cheek in an almost teasing way before leaving him to his own devices. 


	2. Chapter 2

It isn’t long before a mysterious black car is driving up and stopping in front of the café. Changkyun stands up so fast he nearly trips over his chair. He pauses only long enough to give Kihyun a grateful smile before rushing from the building.

Kihyun only manages to smile back until Changkyun’s back is to him.

He knows absolutely nothing about this situation he’s inadvertently been made aware of tonight, but he’s absolutely sure about one thing. If Changkyun walks into this café again after crying over that man, he’ll be going home not with his boyfriend, but with Kihyun.

  
Changkyun slides into the car, his good mood from the café faltering as Jinsoo leans over to kiss his cheek.

“What’d you forget that you had to go back out for in the rain, Kyunnie?” he asks, raising a brow. Changkyun tries for a chuckle, shrugging.

“I didn’t realize it was raining when I left,” he defends, purposefully not answering the question. He hates lying, so the less he has to do of it the better. Jinsoo chuckles as if that’s so typical of the younger. He reaches over to ruffle his hair, and Changkyun wants nothing more than to lean into the touch. However, as he does, his eyes flit over a fresh love bite, and he nearly begins to cry again.

Jinsoo, though, seems as oblivious as ever to the younger’s inner turmoil.

  
After ordering a pizza and watching a movie, Changkyun and Jinsoo retire for the night. After what the younger had walked in on, he most certainly did not feel like preparing a huge meal like before. Maybe he will later this week, when Jinsoo isn’t covered head to toe by a stranger’s hickeys.

It takes Jinsoo only a couple minutes to fall asleep.

 _I guess if I had such a busy afternoon_ , Changkyun thinks as he stares up at the ceiling, _I would fall asleep pretty fast, too_.

He sighs, turning his back to Jinsoo. He closes his eyes against the dark, mentally running through the day’s events. He remembers the kind barista at the café, the older man’s beautiful smile. He’ll have to be sure to return to that café when he has time to thank Kihyun.

  
Kihyun returns to his apartment after a long day’s work, sighing in exasperation as he tosses his keys in the bowl by the door and scoots his shoes beneath the shoe rack. At the sound, his roommate pops his head into the room. He chuckles knowingly, and goes to sit beside Kihyun with a beer in his hand.

“You look like you need this,” Minhyuk tells him, smirking over at his same-age friend knowingly. Kihyun hums gratefully, and takes the beer. He downs half of it in one gulp. As he closes his eyes, images of the last customer he served tonight flash into his vision.

“I met the cutest young man today…” Kihyun sighs out, taking another drink before resting the near-empty bottle on his knee. Minhyuk ‘ooh’s in a most juvenile way, causing Kihyun to roll his eyes.

“Kihyun-ssi!” Minhyuk cries out, hugging his roommate close. “I’m so happy for you! What’s his name? When can I meet him? When’s your first date?”

“Whoah, whoah, whoah,” Kihyun chuckles, squirming out of Minhyuk’s grasp and shoving him away playfully. “His name is Changkyun, but it won’t go anywhere. He already has a boyfriend.” Minhyuk pouts, very much not pleased with the answer.

“I’m disappointed in you,” he grumbles. “You finally meet someone who makes you take a second look after all this time, and you let him slip away without a fight… I thought I had taught you better than that.”

“ _Please_ , Minhyuk-ah,” he groans in frustration. “You’re not listening to me. He’s already taken. Maybe, if he ever breaks up with that asshole in the car, I’ll give it a chance. For now, though, he’s unattainable beauty.”

“ _God_ ,” Minhyuk says as he stands, making a retching sound in his throat, “you’ve got it so bad already. You’ll have him by the end of the month, I can tell already.” Kihyun rolls his eyes again, standing as well to join his friend in the kitchen for a midnight snack.

He thinks of the man’s expression, how he had looked almost happy before his boyfriend had called… It’s then he dares to hope his roommate is right.

  
Changkyun waits a couple days before returning to the café. He needs to stay in the apartment for a while, after all. If he were to leave Jinsoo alone, he runs the risk of coming home to a sight like before, and he can’t run the risk of that, at least until his heart has recovered from last time.

He feels a bit awkward about returning, but tells himself it’s nothing. He’s only thanking the man for his kindness. There’s nothing wrong with that, nothing whatsoever.

The bell dings above the door, announcing his arrival, and he suddenly realizes that Kihyun may not even be working today. He presses his lips together nervously, hunching his shoulders forward as he nears the counter. No one’s manning it at the moment, and he awkwardly stands there a moment before clearing his throat.

“Changkyunnie~!” Kihyun’s voice suddenly greets, and Changkyun’s head snaps to the side. He can’t help but smile at seeing the older man’s head poking out of the swinging door leading to the back. “I’ll be there in a minute,” he adds, and then disappears behind the door without waiting for a response.

Changkyun gulps, trying to regain control of his racing heart. His palms begin to sweat, and his eyes flit to the ceiling as he thinks of why he could possibly reacting in such a way to just a simple smile.

 _Jinsoo never made me feel like this…_ Changkyun thinks suddenly, though he instantly regrets it. Guilt fills him, but he can’t think of why he’s drawn such a connection .He goes to sit at a table to clear his head, twiddling with his thumbs under the table as he waits.


	3. Chapter 3

“I’m glad to see you,” Kihyun says plainly, a gentle smile quirking up his lips. Changkyun returns the expression despite his growing nerves, finding it easy to do.

“I just wanted to thank you for the other night,” he says sheepishly, pressing his lips together as he attempts to control the churning of his gut. “You were very kind, and I—”

“Think nothing of it,” Kihyun interrupts, waving a dismissive hand. “When I see such a cutie in need, I just can’t help myself.”

Changkyun doesn’t know what’s more shocking, the fact someone as attractive as Kihyun calling him cute, or the unreadable light within the older’s eyes very much telling him there’s more to the compliment than just friendliness. He’s never been the recipient of such a look before, even counting all the times he’s been looked at by Jinsoo.

The man gulps at remembering his boyfriend, and suddenly feels very… dirty. His guilt from before multiplies tenfold as Jinsoo’s name comes up in his mind, and he bites hard on his lower lip to try and quell his own turbulent feelings. What he’s doing isn’t even half as bad as what Jinsoo has done, he knows that.

But, that doesn’t help his own shame at the situation.

“Did you want anything?” Kihyun offers suddenly, noticing Changkyun’s shift in mood. “It’s my treat if you do.”

“No thank you, hyung,” Changkyun answers, standing as he speaks. “I really ought to be going. I just came by to say thanks…” Kihyun stands as well, a small pout forming on his lips.

“Oh, okay…” he says, not quite believing the younger yet not sure why. “If you need anything, you know where to find me. I’m here every day, at one time or another.” Changkyun nods, but can’t bring himself to say anything as he hurries from the café.

Kihyun watches as he goes, a concerning light remaining in his eyes.

  
“Jinsoo-hyung!” Changkyun calls as he enters the apartment. “I’m home!” He slips out of his shoes and goes towards the study, where he’d last left Jinsoo when he’d left for classes. It’s been almost a month since he’d last been to the café, and last since Jinsoo had cheated on him, and they’ve fallen back into their old routine, from before any of this had happened, and Changkyun couldn’t be happier.

“Kyunnie!” Jinsoo greets as the younger enters the room. He spins around in his wheeled desk chair, and meets him halfway across the small space to give him a bone-crushing hug. Changkyun sighs contentedly, pushing thoughts of his classes away as he nuzzles into the older man’s chest. Whenever Jinsoo cheats on him, Changkyun has noticed, the older showers him with affection even more so than usual until months after.

It’s an awful trade-off, granted, but Changkyun’s grown used to it.

“How were classes?” Jinsoo asks as he pulls away. Changkyun hums, shrugging.

“They were fine,” the younger replies. “I have a lot of studying to do, though. And there’s a paper due Monday that I’ve got to start on this weekend.”

“I have a better idea,” Jinsoo tells him, taking him by the hand and pulling him over. Changkyun takes a seat in the brunette’s lap, smiling at how the older’s arms wrap around his waist to keep him steady. Jinsoo nods at the computer screen, where displayed is an ad for a romantic getaway weekend.

The younger man’s heart stutters, his face lighting up with joy… before he sees it. The blinking tab, indicating a new message from B311…

Changkyun licks his lips, gulping hard as his gaze falls to his hands. Jinsoo notices the shift in mood, and his hold on the younger tightens.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like the idea?”

“You’re talking to him again…” Changkyun mutters before he can stop himself. Jinsoo feigns confusion, asking the younger just what he’s talking about, but Changkyun only points silently at the blinking tab. Jinsoo makes a small ‘oh’, as if realizing just then he’d left it open, or something.

B311 is the first man Jinsoo cheated on Changkyun with… Or, at least, the first Changkyun knows about. He’d found their online correspondences by coincidence one day, having logged on to Jinsoo’s computer to do a school assignment as his shitty laptop was acting up again, and the computer was open on that window. Changkyun still doesn’t know who that man is in real life, but he knows the two had gone to meet in person multiple times for… special visits.

Jinsoo had said that he’d called it off with the other man.

He’d lied.

He’d said that would be the last time he’d cheat on him, ever…

He’d lied.

Jinsoo begins to explain, smooth words falling from his lips. He’s always been so silver-tongued, making it easy for Changkyun to believe whatever he says. A silent tear falls from Changkyun’s eye, and he reaches up to angrily wipe it away, whirling his head around to ready himself for a fight.

But, not this time.

This time, he remembers the comforting touch of the barista he hasn’t seen since the last time. He recalls how the older had told him he shouldn’t be with someone who makes him cry.

 _Why am I doing this…?_ Changkyun can’t help but wonder. He can’t think of why he possibly should be putting up with this anymore… Surely being alone and broke is better than being with someone who cheats and lies just to have somewhere to live.

So, he stands from his perch, pulling himself forcefully from Jinsoo’s arms, and leaves the room. Jinsoo follows, but he doesn’t say a word. He merely gets out his two suitcases, and thanks his lucky stars he’s never been much of a packrat as he gets his things together.


End file.
